Birthday twins

Every once in a while, when the planets align perfectly and the wind is blowing from the south-southwest, my wife, Lisa, and I have a day off together. Most days, we run errands or work around the house. Every so often, though, we go on a date, so to speak.

One of our more recent "dates" found us at a Bruins practice in Wilmington. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I’m quite the romantic. But I swear it was Lisa’s idea. She hadn’t been to a practice this season. And with Ray Bourque, one of her favorite hockey players, likely at practice as a Bruins consultant, it was a true no-brainer to make the trip.

The biggest reason why Lisa’s a big fan of Bourque’s is that they share the same birthdate. Bourque may be a few years older, but they were both born on a Dec. 28th. (Come to find out, too, that Bourque has a sister who also was born on a Dec. 28th.)

Lisa caught up with Bourque during our "date" and was fortunate enough to get the Hall of Famer to sign a Bruins 75th anniversary puck (shown above). Not only did he put down a wicked sweet signature, but it’ll also look real good displayed with the Colorado Avalanche Bourque jersey that he signed for her earlier this year.

Since Bourque joined the team, his presence has prompted more hounds, such as myself, and some of the low-life, oxygen-thief dealers to show up. As a result, getting him to sign is, at best, a 50/50 proposition. It’s a shame, too, because it makes it even more difficult for fans, such as my wife, to meet their favorite players.